Senior Mental Health Practitioner / OT / Social Worker / Nurse

Are you ready for a role that genuinely stretches your clinical expertise while giving you the space to shape how community mental health services evolve? We are looking for an experienced, forward thinking practitioner to join us. Working across three of our specialist teams: the Specialist Outreach Recovery Team (SORT), Insight (First Episode Psychosis), and Community Mental Health Services. You will work with people with complex mental health needs; you will need excellent clinical skills. You will be able to assertively support discharges, transition across teams, and work with a caseload. You will work closely with family and carers, providing both direct support and working with staff to ensure safe and effective care. You will support the Specialist Mental Health Practitioner to deliver excellent care across the services.

This is an opportunity to step into a position where your clinical leadership, creativity and professional judgement will directly influence the quality of care we deliver across the city.

Main duties of the job You'll be part of a senior leadership team that drives high quality, recovery focused mental health care. Your work will span direct clinical practice, staff development, service improvement and the implementation of evidence based approaches.

You'll also play a key role in embedding the Community Mental Health Framework, supporting teams to meet CQC standards, and ensuring that our services remain safe, effective and responsive.

Job responsibilities The role works across multi disciplinary teams who proactively provide a range of evidence based interventions, including therapies and recovery oriented support for those with a diagnosis of a complex psychosis with the community. The role has been developed as part of the evolving provision of the Community Mental Health Framework.

This role links directly into three services: Specialist Outreach Recovery Team, Insight (first presentation psychosis) and Community Mental Health Services.

The three services are made up of various mental health professionals who work with people to support recovery, offering various therapeutic interventions to support individuals.

This role exists to make sure people receive the right support at the right time by coordinating care, strengthening communication between teams, and keeping a clear focus on safety and continuity. The postholder will work closely with partner agencies, families, and other professionals to ensure plans are joined up and responsive to changing needs.

SCOPE AND RANGE

The services are dedicated to enhancing the quality of mental health care and improving outcomes for adults with mental health needs in Plymouth. They work collaboratively with colleagues across relevant departments and wards, developing tailored plans and delivering holistic biopsychosocial assessments and support to identify each patient's mental health needs and any risks they may pose to themselves or others.

The teams work in close collaboration with other services including the Home Treatment Team, hospital placements, crisis services and Adult Social Care.

The role includes a high level of autonomous working, with the post holder carrying out high quality skilled mental health assessments, and providing risk formulation and care plans for patients using the service. This will be in close collaboration with family, friends and carers.

Care is generally provided in peoples homes and in other community settings. The post holder will work across various Livewell and community sites.

The post holder will provide support and supervision to junior staff such as preceptor nurses, community support workers and peer support workers within the team.

The post will include flexible working patterns over the 7 day week to incorporate cover for a 24/7 service, including nights on call.

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• The postholder will be expected to be able to make clear clinical decisions based on the analysis of often complex presenting difficulties; this can include being the decision maker in terms of the onward care plan for patients experiencing crisis mental health needs.
• Receive and triage referrals for the teams.
• Undertake holistic and comprehensive bio psychosocial assessment of patients referred to the service.
• Utilise a range of highly specialised clinical skills appropriate to the needs of individual patients and the clinical/home setting in which they are seen.
• Ability to match patient need with available skills and resources.
• Work closely with peer support workers and volunteers to enhance patient experience.
• Provide a consultation liaison service to clinicians and clinical teams referring to the teams. This will include giving specialist advice on care, treatment, and patient management issues.
• Be part of a multi disciplinary team approach responding to individuals requiring a same day response or signposting due to a mental health crisis.
• Provide skilled telephone advice to referrers, patients, and carers.
• Provide skilled telephone based support to help contain a crisis and avoid further escalation of an issue.
• Offer an urgent mental health assessment and appointments in a location most convenient/appropriate for the patient; this may be in their home, GP surgery or Emergency Department.
• Provide MH assessment to patients deemed at risk of inpatient psychiatric admission, presenting with acute mental health disturbance of a functional nature.
• Identify the most appropriate intervention required for patient, with an emphasis on positive risk management, and refer, as necessary.
• Following assessments provide high quality assessment reports/letters to the relevant professionals. Monitor reports by junior staff to ensure they are of the same standards.
• Maintain high standards of integrity when communicating with patients and others.
• Demonstrate ability to use IT systems effectively including email and clinical systems used by the team.
• Possess a good working knowledge of mental health legislation including the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty safeguards and use this in relation to advising and planning care, independently or with other professionals.
• The post holder will provide nursing care and other interventions in the setting most appropriate to meet the patient's needs.
• Emergency judgments and clinical decision making.
• Maintain high standards of clinical care to patients.
• Formulate care plans, implement, and evaluate them alongside patients and carers ensuring informed consent is obtained.
• Demonstrate safe clinical skills when providing care for patients receiving specialist treatments e.g., commencement of Clozaril in the community or supporting a patient through ECT treatment.
• Work within their professional registration (NMC, HCPC, BCAP) only.

For full details please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Person Specification Knowledge

• Evidence of post registration development.
• Clinical Risk Assessment.
• Safeguarding Adults and Children.
• Clinical Governance.
• Care programme approach & person centred framework.
• Psychological models of care and treatment.
• Sound working knowledge of Mental Health Act (1983), Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (2005).
• Understanding of National guidelines and initiatives related to provision of mental health services.
• Understanding of the provision of mental health care and recovery services in the community.
• Specialist knowledge of mental disorders and their impact on physical health.
• Solution focused therapy skills.
• Physical healthcare skills.
• Motivational interviewing skills.
• Microsoft Outlook.
• Culturally competent assessment and intervention skills.
• SystmOne, Care First or other electronic records system also eCPA.

Qualifications

• One of the following:
• RMN/Dip HE/BSc Mental Health Nursing NMC Registration.
• RGN/Dip HE/BSc Registered Nurse NMC Registration.
• Occupational Therapy Degree HCPC Registration.
• Social Work Degree HCPC Registration.
• Paramedic Science Degree/BSc/Dip HE HCPC Registration Registered.
• Have completed a BABCP or BPS accredited IAPT/Psychological Wellbeing Training (PWP).
• Psychological well being practitioner. Degree/BCs in psychology and registered with British psychological Society as a Psychological well being practitioner.
• Post qualification experience/training in mental health and related issues.
• Clinical Supervision training.
• Evidence of completion of statutory and mandatory training.
• Mentorship qualification or equivalent experience.
• Non medical prescriber or willingness to work towards this where appropriate.
• Leadership qualifications. (Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, Mental health nurse, psychological well being practitioner).

Experience

• Significant post registration experience of working with people with complex mental ill health within the community, including those who may abuse drugs and/or alcohol.
• Significant experience as a care coordinator/ or Home Treatment/Crisis worker.
• Experience of working collaboratively with patients and their families/carers.
• Previous experience of working at a level relevant to the role, post registration experience in acute mental health.
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